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LeBron James emotional in what 'very well could be' last Cleveland game
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- LeBron James emotional in what 'very well could be' last Cleveland game
CLEVELAND — LeBron James has visited the Cavaliers as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers since the 2018-19 season, but the Akron native has never previously become visibly overcome with emotion like he did this year.
With 7:46 left in the first quarter of the Cavs' 129-99 win over the Lakers on Jan. 28, James appeared to shed tears as a tribute video played on the scoreboards at Rocket Arena and the Cleveland fans cheered in support of him.
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In a postgame news conference, the 41-year-old James conceded he thought it could be his last time playing in Cleveland , where he became the greatest player in Cavs history during two stints (2003-10 and 2014-18) and led the organization to the 2016 NBA title.
"Just trying to take everything in and not take the moments for granted because it could be," James said. "Obviously, I haven't made a decision on the future, but very well could be."
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A 2003 St. Vincent-St. Mary High School graduate, James is not under contract with the Lakers beyond this season.
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Will James retire this summer, re-sign with the Lakers, return to the Cavs for a third stint while chasing a fairy-tale ending or join another franchise? All eyes will be on James as the masses await yet another decision from the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
It's natural to wonder whether James becoming choked up should be interpreted as a farewell of sorts.
"I don't know what the future holds for me, obviously, so I'm just trying to live in the moment, and, like I said, I don't know if it's my last game here or not at this moment," James said.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James reacts on the bench during a video tribute shown on the scoreboard during a timeout in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Jan. 28, 2026, in Cleveland.
Cleveland Cavaliers have LeBron James' future on their minds
As the Cavs (29-20) rolled to their fifth consecutive win, James had anything but a vintage performance for the Lakers (28-18). He compiled 11 points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field (0 of 3 on 3-pointers), five assists, three rebounds and a steal in 27 minutes.
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"It's an emotional game, in general," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "I think there's certainly emotions always for him coming back here. And I know during the tribute video, you could see that being back here is very important to him, and there's a human element to all of this."
The Cavs had James' future on their minds, too.
"With LeBron, I mean, you never know how many times you get to compete in the same arena with one of the all-time greats," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said.
James is in the midst of his record-setting 23rd NBA season. ESPN reported Cavaliers and league sources told the network the Cavs would gladly welcome James back this summer if he wanted to return to Cleveland for his 24th season.
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"That's above my pay grade," Atkinson said when he was asked about potentially coaching James. "I know what he means to this community and this organization. I do know that. But after that, kind of my focus is on this roster and trying to improve this team that we have."
Meanwhile, James felt his feelings in his old stomping grounds.
"Didn't expect that," James said. "But, obviously, a lot of memories here, a lot of history, so just super grateful and thankful for the time spent here and the memories."
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: LeBron James emotional in what could be his final game in Cleveland
